CAS News & Notes, September 2017

Archives

Fri. Sep. 1, 2017

FROM THE PRESIDENT: PROGRAM CHANGES FOR 2017-2018

Welcome to the 2017-2018 Columbia Audubon Society. Not that we really stopped for the summer; we’ve been doing bird counts for programs, going to meetings, organizing for COMO Gives, and working on our properties. But mainly the board has been thinking and meeting to figure out this coming year and we need your help. We get great attendance at field trips and everyone volunteers for the second grade field trip or Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary open houses. But attendance at monthly meetings has slowly fallen over recent years, even when we have an exceptional speaker, and we need to know why. Is the third Wednesday particularly bad? Have you heard it all before? Is it just not your style of learning? Are you too old, too young, or just too tired at 7:00 p.m.? Do we just have to mix it up more? You will have to tell us, and here is where to start. We know you like picnics and prairies so the September meeting will be a walk from the Bonnie View picnic shelter to the CANS prairie and back at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 17th, with treats provided by the board after the walk. All you need to do is walk, eat, and tell us what works and what doesn’t. We will keep our third Wednesday at the church open because everyone needs a home even if we use it mainly for board meetings. We have lots of ideas but need more or better ones. If you can’t come, contact a board member or me. – by Laura Hillman, President

PROGRAMMING POSSIBILITIES

Below are some suggested new ideas for this year’s CAS programming schedule. These are not set in stone, but are being considered by the board as alternatives to regular monthly speakers. We welcome member feedback on these potential ideas. – contact Vice President John Besser, jbesser1@gmail.com

The September meeting will NOT be on the third Wednesday of the month at the U-U church (although the board will still meet that night. Instead, it will consist of a walk from the Bonnie View picnic shelter to the CANS prairie and back, starting at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 17th, followed by a discussion with treats provided by the board. We expect this to last until around 5:00 p.m.

JOIN COLUMBIA’S ADOPT-A-TRAIL PROGRAM

Join the City to help maintain our natural areas through the Adopt-A-Trail program. This program is designed for volunteers to help maintain sections of the City’s trail system by removing invasive species and nurturing native vegetation. Your family, business, faith community or civic organization can partner with the City to care for our trails. A training session will be held Saturday, September 9 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Parks Management Center, 1507 Business Loop 70 West near Cosmo Park. To register, contact us at volunteer@CoMo.gov or 874-7499. – from a recent city mass email

CHILDREN’S’ BIRDING PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY

This fall, CAS will be helping to offer three children’s programs at the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia. Lottie Bushmann will be hosting these events as a CAS volunteer; call the library (817-7045) to register. These programs are for children age 8-15.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 17 2-3 p.m. Join us and become BIRDWISE! Learn how to identify common Missouri birds by sight using observation skills and field guides. Discover the beauty of our feathered friends!

Week 2: Sunday, Oct. 15 2-3 p.m. Join us and become BIRDWISE! Learn how to identify common Missouri birds by sound! We will listen to unique bird songs and go on an in-library scavenger hunt.

Week 3: Sunday, Nov. 19 2-3 pm Join us and become BIRDWISE! You will uncover the unique adaptations of birds through activities that look closely at their beaks, feet, and feathers.

YOUNG CAS MEMBER’S PHOTO PUBLISHED

Ibis by Shelby Thomas; published in Birds & Blooms Magazine

My daughter, Shelby Thomas, who is 15 years old & a member of CAS & an e-Birder, recently had one of her photos selected to be published in Birds & Blooms magazine! The photo is of a White Ibis she saw while in Florida last year & includes a blurb she wrote (see scan below). It appeared in the August issue of the magazine.– from Shari Thomas (Editor’s note: congratulations, Shelby!)